Hook and eye.



PATENTED FEB. 11 1908.

F. s. SLAUTER. HOOK AND EYE. APPLICATION FILED MAY IG, 1907.

THE NORRIS PETERS 0a., wnsnmarou, a. o

FRANKLIN SFSLAUTER, OF DERBY, CONNECTICUT.

HOOK AND EYE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1908.

Application filed irisy 16.1907. Serial No. 374080.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN S. SLAUTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Derby, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in a Hook and Eye, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hooks and eyes used principally in connection with wearing apparel, and has for its object the production of a device of this character which will be substantially flat so as to be unnoticeable when appliedto a garment, and in which when the hook is engaged with the eye, the two parts will be locked together so as to be incapable of movement with respect to each other, that is, the eye will be held against any bodily movement, or against any oscillatory movement, either in a direction at an angle to the plane of the hook, or in a direction lying within the plane of the hook. My invention also has other advantages which will be pointed out in connection with the description.

Reference is hereby made to the accompaof which ,v

nying drawing,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the preferred form of hook and eye; Fig. 2 is an edge view of the eye detached; Fig. 3 is an edge view of the hook detached; Fig. 4 is a plan View of the eye detached; Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of eye; Figs. 7, 8,9 and 11 are plan views showing four modified forms of hook; and Figs. 10 and 12 are side elevations of the hooks of Figs. 9 and 11 respectively.

Like parts are designated in the several views by the same numerals of reference.

Referring to Fig.1, the hook 1 is a flat member, which is preferably formed of a single piece of wire bent into the shape illus trated which is substantially that of the letter M, but it is obvious that this and any of the forms of hook herein described may be stamped out of a piece of sheet metal if desired. The hook 1 comprises a central bill 2, and lateral arms 3, each of which is formed with a comparatively sharp or abrupt shoulder 4 which faces in a direction opposite to that by which the hook is placed in engagement with the eye.

The bill 2 may be, if desired, and ably is, bent slightly down from the p ane of the hook to facilitate its entrance into the eye (see Fig. 3). The eye 5 may be in the refer form of a flat strip which is adapted to engage the hook in the manner shown, passing under the lateral arms, and over the bill and extending in substantially a straight line at right angles to the bill. The width of the eye is substantially thesame as the distance from the locking shoulders 4 to the ends of the hook, so that the eye fills the space between these points and is held against movement with respect to the hook.

It will be noticed that when the hook and eye are assembled, the hook bears against one edge of the eye at two points and at the otheredge of the eye at two points, said points being determined by the ends of the hook and by the locking shoulders 4. This engagement holds the two' parts against any relative oscillatory movement in the plane of the hook, and by reason of the eye being flat, its engagement with the hook also prevents an oscillatory movement of either member in a direction perpendicular or at an angle to the plane of the hook.

In order to facilitate the engagement of the hook and eye, the edges of the latter may be notched, beveled or cut away, as shown at 6, and the eye is preferably made so thin that it will bend readily at its central portion by which the engagement is also facilitated. The eye shown is provided with ends which are perforated and transversely elongated, as shown. This feature enables the eye to be firmly secured to the cloth by three stitches 7, as shown in Fig. 1.

The eye shown in Fig. 6 is made of a single piece of wire bent into the form shown, whereby an eye having a greater Width than thickness is obtained, and the same forms a fiat strip within the language of the claims, this eye being used in exactly the same manner as the eye 5 of Fig. 1.

In Fig. 7 the hook 8 is formed with looking shoulders 4 substantially at right angles to the lateral arms 3, and. the loops of the hook are substantially rectangular.

In Fig. 8 the hook 1 1 is rovided with looking shoulders 12, formed in the bill 13. The eyes which have been previously described may be used in connection with either of the hooks of Figs. 7 and 8.

Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate a hook 15 in which the locking shoulder or shoulders 12 of the bill 13 are vertical instead of horizontal as in Fig. 8. The shoulders 12 are so short, however, that the hook is substantially fiat.

Figs. 11 and 12 illustrate a hook 14 in which the locking shoulders 4 of the lateral arms 3 are vertical instead of horizontal as in Fig. 7. In this form also the substantial flatness of the hook is preserved.

One of the advantages of the combined hook and eye shown herein is that it may be mounted upon a card by slipping the same over the edge in a manner similar to a paper fastener so that it is not necessary to stitch the hook and eye to a card in putting them on the market, and this expensive operation may be entirely dispensed with.

In all of the forms of hook and eye, both members are, when assembled, preferably, although not necessarily, under a slight bending stress within their limits of elasticity, whereby they are the more firmly secured together.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. In a hook and eye, the combination of an M-shaped hook having locking shoulders, and an eye consisting of a strip the width of which is substantially equal to the distance between said locking shoulders and the ends of said hook, said locking shoulders facing in a direction opposite to that by which the hook is placed in engagement with the eye, whereby the eye fills the space between the locking shoulders and the ends of the hook and is held against rocking on either a longitudinal or transverse axis.

2. In a hook and eye, the combination of an M-shaped hook having locking shoulders formed in the outer arms thereof, and an eye consisting of a strip the Width of which is substantially equal to the distance between said locking shoulders and the ends of said hook, said locking shoulders facing in a direction opposite to that by which the hook is placed in engagement with the eye, whereby the eye fills the space between the locking shoulders and the ends of the hook, and is held against rocking on either a longitudinal or transverse axis.

3. In a hook and eye, the combination of an M-shaped hook and an eye consisting of a flat strip formed with a central bend and having one or both of its side edges formed with a sloping surface to facilitate its engagement with the hook.

4. In a hook and eye, the combination of an M-shaped hook having locking shoulders, and an eye consisting of a fiat strip formed with a central bend, and having one or both of its side edges formed with notches adjacent said shoulders to facilitate its engagement with the hook.

In witness whereof, I subscribe my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses.

FRANKLIN S. SLAUTER.

- Witnesses:

H. L. WHITNEY, F. M. OLAnK. 

